The present invention relates to computer applications programs. More particularly, the present invention relates to programs in which a computer user interacts with several display screens or windows in order to accomplish a complex task.
In order to accomplish the steps of a complex task, the computer user is required to enter data and/or make selections on several windows. Thus, to accomplish the task, the user must move from one window to another.
To move from a currently-displayed window (the "current window") to another, desired window, the user selects an "action dialog" corresponding to the desired window. Conventionally, such an action dialog is shown on the current window as a rectangle in which the title of the corresponding window is printed. A program may also include action dialogs that the user may select to perform actions other than moving from one window to another, in which case a particular action's action dialog is shown as a rectangle in which a description of the action is printed. A particular window's or action's action dialog may be selected by conventional means, such as a mouse.
In the prior art, only the actions which can be selected from the current window are displayed on the current window. That is, if the user cannot move to a particular window from the current window, the action dialog for that window is not shown on the current window. In like manner, if the user may not select a particular action from the current window, that action's action dialog is not shown on the current window. As a result, because all of the window's and action's action dialogs are not shown on all of the program's windows, the user may be confused as to how to proceed in order to accomplish the desired task.
An example of a complex task which requires several windows is a meeting-scheduling program, which is a subprogram of a calendar program. Such programs are well-known in the art.
FIGS. 1-4 show the windows for a known meeting-scheduling program: a Find Free Time window (FIG. 1), a Select Meeting Time window (FIG. 2), a Check Conflicting Schedule window (FIG. 3), and a Enter Meeting Details window (FIG. 4). Also shown in FIGS. 1-4 are the program's action dialogs: Select Meeting Time 1, Enter Meeting Details 3, Cancel 5, Find Free Time 7, Check Conflicting Schedule 9, and Send A Meeting Notice 11. As the present invention is related to the manner in which action dialogs are displayed on a program's windows, only the functions of the meeting-scheduling program's action dialogs and the prior art display of those action dialogs will be discussed.
When the meeting-scheduling program first begins operating, the Find Free Time window (FIG. 1) is the current window. From the Find Free Time Window, the user can move to the Select Meeting Time window (FIG. 2) by selecting the Select Meeting Time window action dialog 1. The user can also move to the Enter Meeting Details window (FIG. 3) by selecting the Enter Meeting Details window action dialog 3. Finally, the user can terminate the meeting-scheduling program and return to the main calendar program by selecting the Cancel action dialog 5.
When the Select Meeting Time window (FIG. 2) is the current window, the user can move to the Find Free Time window (FIG. 1) by selecting the Find Free Time action dialog 7, to the Check Conflicting Schedule window (FIG. 3) by selecting the Check Conflicting Schedule action dialog 9, or to the Enter Meeting Details window (FIG. 4) by selecting the Enter Meeting Details action dialog 3. In addition, the user can terminate the task and return to the main calendar program by selecting the Cancel action dialog 5.
The functions of the Select Meeting Time action dialog 1, the Enter Meeting Details action dialog 3, the Cancel action dialog 5 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are the same as described above. The Send A Meeting Notice action dialog 11 shown on the Enter Meeting Details window (FIG. 4) is selected to send the details of the scheduled meeting to the attendees listed on the Attendee List 13.
With the exception of the Select Meeting Time window (FIG. 2), the windows of the program do not provide an indication of the titles of all the program's other windows. Further, only the Enter Meeting Details window (FIG. 4) displays the Send A Meeting Notice action dialog 11. Thus, the program's user is not shown an complete picture of the program's action dialogs on each window, which could cause confusion, especially for a user who is not familiar with the program.
The steps required to perform the task of the meeting-scheduling program of the example are relatively straightforward. In a program whose steps are less straightforward, displaying only the action dialogs that can be selected from the current window increases the possibility of confusion and error.